For Jonathan Sake Outreach Day 18- Ricardo

Ricardo’s mother has been bringing him to outreach for the past 3 years. Ricardo has spastic Cerebral Palsy which means that he has a hard time using his arms and legs secondary to his muscles being so tight. He has no cognitive deficits & is very alert and aware of what is going on around him. He tends to have a serious personality & be straight faced most of the time except with mom. Ricardo is mommy’s boy…they have a very special relationship. She is able to get him to smile, laugh, giggle, and is the only one who is able to calm him down. During outreach we work on stretching to loosen up his muscles, weight-bearing through arms & legs, sensory input (swinging, bouncing on therapy ball), and playing with toys using Hand-Over-Hand.

I have had the privilege of visiting his home on a few occasions. He lives very close to the mission & thus it is easy for me to stop by (as it is along the route I walk for fun in the afternoons). Ricardo’s house was the very first homevisit I ever did. His mother was not home the first few times I visited. Ricardo was home with extended family (who live in the same house). She works a couple jobs. I am not sure what all jobs she works but I know one of the family jobs is selling clothes off the front porch. Ricardo is very well taken care. Every time I have gone to visit Ricardo he has been dressed & in a really nice wheelchair sitting up out on the porch with a toy to look at. He is very much so included into family activities. I don’t know where they got the wheelchair but it looked like it had been custom fit to him. I do know they have family in PAP and travel their at least 1x a year. This last time I went to visit Ricardp’s mom was home. At first Ricardo started to cry but once mom reassured him I was here to visit & not do therapy…and I pulled out fun cause effect toys I got lots of grins & smiles. Ricardo adores his mother & I just love watching him interact with her. I am not sure exactly how many siblings Ricardo has but I know he at least has 1 older sister.  I got to see the inside of their home for the first time this visit. They live in a really nice home that has multiple rooms with electricity, concrete floors and concrete block walls. When asked how I could be in prayer for her & her family… Ricardo’s mother responded that God would make her son better. We spent time in prayer & then were able to bless their family with a solar power Christian Radio with the MP3 version of New Testament on it from radio 4VEH.

Please keep Ricardo and his mother in your prayers.

·         Pray that Ricardo’s muscles would loosen up and no further contractures would form. That he will continue to gain control over her body and be able to interact more with his world.

·         Pray for his mother to continue to rely on God for her daily strength and that she will find peace and hope in Him & His word.